Shadow or no Shadow
by grathialiana
Summary: THe story arc was from was back then when Shikamaru's team was tasked to retrieve Sasuke. Sorry, but I wrote this about 4 yrs ago, and I just never really thought of osting it till now. Probably coz I did not have my own PC back then hehehe.


Author's note: I don't own Naruto.

This story arc, (if you can still remember it) was when Shikamaru's team was tasked to save Sasuke from going off to Orochimaru. I know it's kinda old, but I did this story about 4 yrs ago, I just dug it out from my file so yeah, sorry if is really an ancient one. Peace out!

************Shadow Or No Shadow**************

Shikamaru was crying.

In fact, he was sobbing his heart out. What a lousy, good-for-nothin'...

Boy. He was still just a boy, after all this time, and it was probably the bravest thing anyone could have ever done under the circumstance.

The mission, it failed miserably. It failed because of that traitorous ninja who had a brain smaller than a insect's. Temari of the Hidden Sand, scowled to herself. Sure, they had allied with Orochimaru before, but that had been a fatal mistake, for Orochimaru was a snake worst than the Devil himself and she would end her life first before joining forces with him again.

But Sasuke? Never mind that the vermin Orochimaru killed the Third, never mind that he was as black as sin, the boy still wanted to give his life to him in order to be stronger, to take revenge on his brother Itachi.

Temari looked over at the weeping boy, at Shikamaru, another face of desperation. He had just been made a team leader to retrieve Sasuke but it didn't do too well. If Temari and her brothers hadn't showed up, who knew what could have happened? They could have all died.

And here Shikamaru was, weeping in the hospital lobby as if there was no tomorrow, thinking about giving up. Did he just say that he wanted to quit? That he was not cut out to be a shinobi?

Well, quit, my ass! she thought. It doesn't matter if you quit or not. There will always be failures.

The boy's father had reprimanded him earlier.

" Even if you quit being a shinobi, missions will still occur. Someone will carry them out. Your companions will just go out with a new leader. So then, maybe your companions will die..."

Temari looked away. She didn't want to witness a scene like this.

" Before you think about running away consider that you may become greater for the sake of your friends! You Coward!"

And then Tsunade and Shizune had confirmed that all the other boys were alive. The hokage had put together an antidote that would cure the side effects caused by Chouji's pills, Kiba was already asleep, and Neji's condition had stabilized.

" Shikamaru... It seems your mission was a failure. But everyone's alive. Thats more important than anything." It was Tsunade speaking to the dejected boy.

That was when he began to cry in earnest.

" Next time definitely, I'll show that I can do it flawlessly..."

Mercifully, everyone walked away from the lobby. Shikaku went with Tsunade and Shizune to meet Kakashi to inquire about Sasuke.

Shikamaru was sniffing, trying to breathe evenly through his nose. He was going to see Naruto later, to ask what happened to the Uchiha.

A long time passed before he was able to compose himself. He was about to leave the lobby as well, but he looked over his shoulder to where Temari was sitting. The blond sand kunoichi was staring openly at him, an annoyed expression on her face.

" Oi," the boy called out.

" What?" she yelled back.

" I guess you saved my butt this time, huh?" Tears still stained his cheeks but he never wiped them away, not caring who would see.

" Yeah? Are you going to make a big deal out of it? You and your man-woman crap!"

" I'm not in the mood for your troublesome chatter, Temari. I just want to say..." He paused a good long deal. " To say thanks. And please say thank you to your brothers as well. We owe them a lot."

" Yeah - sure! Coward! Hee hee!" She flashed him a toothy grin.

And then he walked away.

It was really irritating, as she watched him leave, that he always had a ridiculous effect on her. He was not a very strong shinobi, not in the physical department at least. They might have called him a genius with 200 IQ but he was too lazy to use his abilities to the fullest.

Temari sighed to herself. Training here in Konoha was slightly different. This village - they weren't as vicious as everyone else in Suna. She would bet very penny she had that this was the first time Shikamaru actually realized that failure during missions could cause him his life and his companions'. The boy had lived a sheltered life.

She wondered why she cared.

She wondered why, when he was crying, she wanted to put her arms around him and hug him like she had never hugged anyone before.

She questioned herself.

She mused.

She thought this over.

Bah! Too troublesome! she herself as saying. Hmm, so much for copying his famous phrase.

Thankfully, everyone of them healed nicely, Neji, Chouji, Naruto, Kiba and even Akamaru. It would take a while before they recuperated but at least no one died.

Shikamaru had just gone to the hospital, to visit everyone of them. He went to Chouji last.

Chouji, his best friend.

How could he have let him almost die?

" Shika. Your glare is burning me."

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed at his chubby friend, who had the gall to smile at him. "Hmmm?"

" You were staring. For five minutes straight. I thought you came here to talk."

" I did," came Shikamaru's bored response. " Anyways, how - how do you feel now?"

" I'm okay. I can't accept missions for a while but I'm okay."

" Oh." Shikamaru sighed dejectedly. " Look, I'm sorry about everything."

" Hey! Take it easy Shika. You've been apologizing for days now. It's alright. It could have been worse if it was another Team Leader."

" I know. That's what they keep on saying," Shiakamaru grumbled. " But it could have turned for the better."

" You're punishing yourself. There was really no other way. We knew at the beginning that they were strong. They had Orochimaru's marks. That had spelled the difference between our abilities."

" Yeah, well... I'm almost hating the hag for giving us more than we could chew!"

" Shikamaru, cheer up. I'm not dead, you know! I heard it was the sand kunoichi who waved the fan for you."

And the fatso was even snickering. Shikamaru's face instantly soured. Him and his troublesome fate. Why did he always have to fight girls?

" Tch, turns out you and Neji were the only ones who defeated someone without the help. That was nice!"

Chouji beamed. " He he he. And it really is nice. I get to eat verything I want. My dad brings me a lot of barbeques!"

Shikamaru's lips cracked into a smile. Hand it to Chouji to turn all events as an excuse to eat more. Akimichi Chouji, his best friend.

This time, he really needed to get better. Not just for his companions' sake, but for his peace of mind as well. He had just gotten out of the hospital since visiting hours were over.

He was walking along the pavement,head bowed low, thinking to himself. His hands were in his pocket, his shoulders hunched, when he sensed someone walking towards him. He looked up.

Hn.

" Hey Crybaby! "

Tch. That troublesome woman.

Shikamaru pretended he did not hear her. He went on his way, while she walked over to him.

" So how's it going little Crybaby? "

" What do you want? Haven't I thanked you enough? " he growled at her.

" My my. What fire. If you could have put a little of that to your battle strategies something nice could have turned up. "

" Look! What's it to you? Still can't believe someone like me beat you in the Chuunin exam? "

" No, I just like harassing you, hee hee! "

" Well, go pester someone else! "

" I want you. Do you have a problem with that!"

A line formed in Shikamaru's head, an indication that he was aggravated. What was the problem of this woman?

Anyways, he wasn't going to waste his time letting this annoying twit demean him. It was bad enough that she saved him from the demoness Tayuya but to keep on rubbing it in his face was unacceptable. Man, as a guy he was the one who should do the protecting here.

So he walked away.

He walked past her, head turned to the side, avoiding eye contact.

" Hey!"

Temari's hand shot up as she called him. Shikamaru was astonished that her fingers were forcefully closing in on his arm.

Temari couldn't believe how skinny he was.

" What? " he grumbled impatiently.

Was he actually hallucinating? Or was the most terrifying sand kunoichi touching him?

" You know, you can be a prick sometimes! " Temari hissed.

" Huh? Just who exactly is giving who a hard time here? " he lashed at her.

" Do you hate me? " she asked angrily. She didn't know why she was so mad at him. Was it because he was so indifferent to her? Or because of what he had said about quitting?

" Huh? Why would I hate you? You saved my ass remember? "

" Do you still wanna quit? "

The skinny boy shrugged daintifully. " What's it to you? "

" I wanna know! "

Shikamaru was thinking of shrugging again but something about the way her nose was flaring at him told him that would not be a wise decision. Why did she care so much?

" Why? " He tried very hard to sound bored, but his heart was starting to beat wildly.

" Because I wanna know if you're worth every energy I mustered in order for me to save you. If you just quit on being lazy and focus on your abilities you might even be stronger than all shinobi here in Konoha."

" Is that why you're gripping me? To lecture me?"

She noticed the red mark forming on his arm, because of her tight hold.

" Sheeesh, you're even worse than my mother and all her nagging! " he complained. " Are you gonna let go of me or what?"

Reluctantly, she released his arm, but she was still glaring at him. " In Suna, it is a great privilege to be a shinobi, much greater to carry marks of battles. Do you know how much I had wanted to win against you? Huh?"

He groaned. " Oh can't you get over that? "

" I can't! " She growled, stepping back. " I don't believe you were out of chakra. You just let me win. "

" Did I what -? "

" Admit it, you let me win. "

" Yeah and so? "

" Why? "

" Because you wanted to win that badly, " he replied truthfully, getting a bit riled up.

" See? You didn't care if you lost or not! You saw the Chuunin exams as something - passing. Something trivial. Just because it's tradition. Well, it's not! If you could have put a little more effort -"

" Then you would have lost in an even uglier fashion! "

WHACK!

" Ouch!" Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head where her hand had slapped him.

" Wrong answer!"

" Okay, okay, I'll do better next time. There. Satisfied? "

" I want a rematch."

" You what -?"

" When you have become stronger, I want a rematch. I feel it was a stupid victory you handed to me back at the Chuunin exam. I want to win for real next time. "

"That's too - Troublesome! "

Temari turned away and started walking to the opposite direction. " I want to break your bones. You giving up will not exactly give me that joy. "

Shikamaru couldn't believe what he just heard. Had she actually challeneged him to another fight? That woman had got to be the most irritating female in the planet!

He hated to admit it though but he was already thinking of really, as in really, training in earnest from now on. Since he was the only one promoted to Chuunin this year, he felt it was time he lived up to the title.

Tch. And of course, there was this troublesome woman who was really getting under his skin.

Temari and her two siblings stayed for a little more while in Konoha. Most of the time they held meetings with Tsunade with regard to the status of the newly formed alliance between The Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Sand.

Neji, Kiba, Chouji and Naruto soon were all permitted to go back home.

Shikamaru shocked his teammate Ino and sensei Asuma by training harder day after day, and sometimes when the two of them left for home he would continue strengthening his jutsu on their training ground.

" What's it with you today, huh? Shikamaru? You haven't lain flat on your back since your mission? Does this mean you're really taking this seriously? " Ino asked, winking at him.

He nodded. " No harm in trying. "

" About time, you lazy moron, " Asuma roared and laughed heartily.

Sheesh, Shikamaru thought, annoyed, what's with all the fuss? They really don't expect me to bungle on my next mission, do they, given the amount of humiliation I've been through.

" KAGE MA NO JUTSU! "

Panting, he moved his fingers deftly to activate his jutsu. It was almost evening and the remaining light was beginning to extinguish. He had a few minutes before darkness engulfed the forest and therefore he wouldn't be able to continue his training.

He was trying to merge his shadow with that of a gigantic boulder and uprooting it from the ground. The feat required massive chakra since the boulder was as big as a house and was firmly planted.

The skinny boy was running out of breath, but his shadow held on, forcing the boulder to move up. He wanted to throw it on another direction, a thing as heavy as that could damage a huge part of the forest floor yet he didn't want to think about the dent his training would cause.

One more minute...

The huge rock was slowly lifting from the ground.

Veins popped out out from Shikamaru's forehead from the effort. Sweat dotted his entire body.

C'mon...

C'mon...

BLAG!

The boulder created a dull sound as it hit the ground. The boy holding its shadow fell ungracefully to the grassy soil, nearly passing out.

Dammit, I hate that woman!

Why? Oh, why? At a time like this all he could think about was Temari and her boastful tirade against him. She was the one making him do all this, all this training, all this focusing his chakra, all this mind and body numbing exhaustion.

Some things never changed.

The lure of cloud watching was so strong even a newly reformed Shikamaru couldn't resist it sometimes. At least he didn't watch the clouds for whole days on end now. He just did when he felt he needed to rest a little.

He was atop his favorite hill, chewing a tuft of leaf. It thrilled him to no end knowing that all of his friends were okay now.

Anyway, it had been more than a week since the failed mission. And he hadn't seen Temari since then. He knew she and her brothers were being met by the Hokage for alliance concerns and that Tsunade also gave them a small apartment that they could live in during the duration of their stay in Konoha.

He should have felt nice that she hadn't made any attacks on him yet, with all of her I-want-a-rematch tantrum...

But somehow, he didn't feel -

Complete.

He wanted to show her he was trying. Trying to be better.

Stronger.

Why? When had he ever needed someone's approval for all the things that he did?

Suddenly a gust of wind blew, startling him. Before Shikamaru knew it, a gigantic weasel with Suna's seals screaming all over its body was floating above him.

What monstrosity!

And it was glaring at him.

Shikamaru's body hair stood on end.

Temari's glare was even worse. " Oi! "

" Oi! " he mumbled weakly.

" Are you ready? "

" Wha - "

" I asked are you ready? For the rematch? "

" You have got to be kidding me! " Shikamaru yelled, looking pissed, but in truth he was really getting jumpy.

" What? You've been training a lot, even on your own so I thought we could have a rematch before I go back to Suna. "

Her words hit him like a tidal wave.

" Wait, wait, wait! How do you I've been training on my own? Were you following me? I mean, were you watching me?"

Suddenly she was at a loss for words. " I - uhm -"

And then the unthinkable happened! She looked away from him as a scarlet blush spread on her face.

Shikamaru blinked once, then twice as he stared at her. Is she going red on the face because of me?

Pause.

Long pause.

She was scowling, still flushed. He was gaping at her. There she was, showing all the signs, and all Shikamaru could do was hang his mouth open. He needed to do something dammit.

Did she say she was going back to Suna?  
>Shikamaru looked at the ground, there was the weasel's humongous shadow. Then there was her shadow.<p>

Using the speed of light Shikamaru formed his jutsu, his fingers moving in an intricate pattern. He whispered, "Kage ma no jutsu! "

It was the shadow binding technique.

Before Temari could even react his shadow spread out and merged with hers. Then she felt her body go rigid. " You brat! " she yelped furiously. "Why did you attack me? That's cheating! "

She knew all too well how to be bound, helpless, by his freaking shadow jutsu. Shikamaru made a move to jump. It made Temari jump down from her weasel.

Temari shrieked, sure that the boy was going to let her fall to her death.

Then it hit her.

His arms were spread, a smug grin on his face.

What the - Temari frowned. Is he gonna catch me?

One moment she was falling, the next one she was inside Shikamaru's arms. He did catch her. And her shadow was not bound anymore.

Temari's eyes nearly jumped out of their sockets when she found his adorable scrawny face just inches above hers, a lazy smile on his lips.

Boy, she was heavy. She was even taller than him. So anyone watching the scene would have found it awkward indeed.

A small squeak escaped her throat. " What are you doing? "

" I'm tired of this, Temari. " Surprisingly, his voice was gentle.

" Tired of what? "

" You, bullying me around. I did get your point the first time, y'know. "

" Oh. "

" So why were you following me? " he asked gently. Ever so gently, that she started to blush again.

It was the first time that they had a conversation wherein no one was shouting. Honestly, it felt good. For both of them.

" I d-didn't - I didn't say I was... f-following you..."

Temari, of all people was stuttering. Shikamaru couldn't help but smile. Why hadn't he noticed before? When did he start feeling this way towards her?

" Thanks. "

" For what? " she snapped, but it lacked the ususal spite.

" For this. For what you taught me. "

" I didn't teach you anything. "

" You inspired me. And - "

" And? "

" And you're kinda heavy." He had the audacity to laugh as he squatted down, while still holding her in his arms. Temari was just staring at him, disbelief written on her face.

" It's really nice to watch clouds you know, " he whispered to her, eyes shining.

Try as she might, she couldn't stop herself from smiling, as in really smiling, at him. Not the smile that she usually showed whenever she was about to beat someone to a bloody pulp but it was an honest and relaxed full mouthed beam.

It just happened.

Shikamaru dipped his head lower.

Temari gasped as his soft warm lips closed over hers. It was a rather awkward meeting of two mouths, both slightly open, tounges held back. An innocent gesture, a peace offering. A truce.

" Shikamaru, what are you doing? " Temari feebly whimpered, placing both her hands on his chest and pushing him away.

" For a shinobi, your strength is pathetic. "

" Shikamaru -"

" I want to kiss you," he blurted out simply.

" Why? " she squeaked again, sounding childish.

" Because. " He rolled his eyes playfully. " Must you question everything that I do? "

" B-because... It's too - "

" Troublesome! " They said at the same time and both of them shook with laughter.

Temari cried out when he lunged at her and kissed her again. The first time was an experiment, this one was real. Her first kiss, she thought dreamily.

After a while, when they were done groping each other, they lay side by side. Shikamaru's arms were folded under his head while hers were on her belly. Both of them were almost afraid of moving, of speaking because the magic of the night might be broken.

A long time had passed before he turned to her.

She turned her head to him as well, seeing that he watched her intently. " Hmmmmm? "

" You're very pretty when you're not yelling at me. "

" Hmph! " she snorted in an unladylike manner

" When are you coming back?"

" H-huh?" She frowned at him.

" I mean, when are you coming back here? "

" I don't know. I haven't thought of... Do you want me to come back? "

" You should, with all your rematch crap and everything. "

" We were supposed to have a rematch! " she complained, pouting. Shikamaru chuckled and pulled her to him affectionately.

" We were, weren't we? " he joked.

" Yeah, before you turning into a pervert that you are!"

" I thought you liked it... " He sounded crushed. " I liked you from the beginning y,know? "

Temari gaped at him, shock rendering her immobile. She had liked him after he beat her during the Chuunin exam, because he had been so unpredictable, so aloof, so mysterious. It thrilled her, kept her in suspense as to what he was like. But she had never thought that he could at least feel the same about her.

That was why she kept bossing him around. Because she knew he would never like her, and of course, she, in return, should never let anyone notice that she did. And now he was saying that he also crushed on her even before? So all their arguments, all their bickering, they were all to hide their affections for each other?

Temari might be crushing on this boy real bad but she still had troubles with words. She couldn't seem to find the right one to tell him how she felt.

Her reverie was broken when he hovered on top of her, his face close, dangerously close. " I'll miss you hitting my head, you troublesome woman! "

He leaned down, his intentions clear.

" Shikamaru! "

Her halfhearted cry was drowned into his mouth when he crushed her lips with his own. It was a very starry night, the moon was even peeping at them. He might have feared the Suna kunoichi before, might have sparred with her through angry words, but the unspoken love between them was enough to bind them together, shadow or no shadow.

FIN


End file.
